Jon Stewart’s Next Job: Presidential Debate Moderator?

It’s been two weeks since Jon Stewart ended his 16-year tenure as host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, but some rather passionate fans are not ready to see him retire from American political discourse just yet. A change.org petition that, as of this writing, has received 95,686 signatures is demanding that the Commission on Presidential Debates bring the Rosewater director on as a moderator during the 2016 general election.

“Over the last 16 years, Jon Stewart has played an influential and iconic role in covering U.S. politics and media,” says the petition’s author, Muriel Waters. “We believe he should continue that tradition as a moderator at one of the 2016 Presidential Debates.”

Citing the two Peabody Awards The Daily Show received in 2000 and 2004, the petition also mentions the successful 2012 Change.org campaign to get a woman hired as a presidential debate moderator, a job that ultimately went to CNN’s Candy Crowley. The petition also requests a public response.

After the petition was launched two weeks ago to little attention and few signers, participation has swelled in the past 24 hours, rising from 25,000 signatures Wednesday. Could it succeed? The petition that got Crowley the gig in 2012 eventually reached 150,000 signatures, a number the Stewart petition seems on track to achieve. However, the earlier petition came bundled with representational symbolism that Stewart wouldn’t be able to bring. Even so, a Stewart-moderated debate could boost interest in the event, particularly among younger voters, as liberal fans and conservative detractors alike tune in to see how he runs the show. That alone could catch the commission’s interest.

Of course, Stewart himself has indicated repeatedly that he’s grown exhausted of covering and making fun of the political and media climate, even joking on the Daily Showthat it was “killing” him. Even so, he’ll be hosting WWE SummerSlam later this summer, an event sure to contain at least as much manufactured drama and one-liners as any presidential debate.

Sure, why not? Then we could Rikki Lake and Jerry Springer host the next two.

Kenny • on Aug 20, 2015 7:33 pm

I want Craig Ferguson to moderate.

Bob • on Aug 21, 2015 10:01 am

Who?

TJ • on Aug 21, 2015 9:53 am

Stewart certainly knows as much about politics as anyone in media today. But the biggest reason people would want him is that he has proven he can be trusted to hold all politicians (and the media covering them) to a standard. It sure would be nice if we had Journalists doing the same thing.

Chet Manley • on Aug 22, 2015 12:03 pm

He has openly carried water for the Obama administration for years. He is a far left partisan. No Republican candidate in his right mind would ever agree to it.

Bob • on Aug 21, 2015 9:56 am

So sad that our political process is comparable to the scripted drama of professional wrestling.